Official blog of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Miscarriage of justice in Allentown

The case of Dennis Counterman, a case that death penalty opponents have tracked for many years, finally resolved itself two weeks ago when Counterman took an Alford plea in which he accepted lesser charges, without admitting guilt, in exchange for time served and his freedom.

Counterman was in prison for 18 years, including 11 years on death row, for a crime he likely did not commit. In fact, the house fire that killed his three sons was probably not a crime at all and instead a tragic accident that was set by one of his sons. Counterman was convicted because the Lehigh County DA's office withheld multiple pieces of evidence that pointed to his innocence.